50 Scent

Models

As mentioned in the previous article, brands use other tools to express the values of the fragrance and to appeal to their target group. One of the best ways to project the image of a fragrance is advertising. Fancy looking advertisements are produced and shown as television commercials or shown in specific magazines that suit the target segment.

In these advertisements, symbols are used in order to signify a specific meaning and to project a specific image which the fragrance should be associated to.

One of the most common types of symbols used in fragrance advertisements are models. The model in the advertisement is actually used as the personification of the fragrance itself, and so has to be chosen with care.

 Acqua di Gioia, Georgio Armani. The model is used as a personification of a mysterious, sensual fragrance linked with ocean senses.

Celebrity endorsement

Another type of models that are often used in the advertising campaigns of fragrances are models that not only are a personification of the fragrance, but also create more an immediate higher brand awareness: celebrities.

The first celebrity to be (indirectly) used in the advertising of a fragrance was Marilyn Monroe, who showed publically that she was a very frequent user of the Chanel No. 5 fragrance during the nineteen fifties and on.

Marylin Monroe endorsing Chanel, just by using the fragrance.‘What do you wear to bed?’ ‘Chanel N. 5.’

Nowadays celebrity endorsements are very often used for the promotion of fragrances. However, since the western society has become relatively high obsessed with celebrity culture and magazines such as OK! take the lives of celebrities under a microscope, some considerations have to be made by the brand managers. If the image of the celebrity will get for some reason negatively portrayed, so will the brand image. Therefore in the contracts with celebrities most of the time a morality clause is included, allowing the company to drop the celebrity if warranted by inappropriate behaviour.

Also, the brand manager must be sure that the level of congruence between the personality of the celebrity and the ‘personality’ of the fragrance is credible, otherwise the campaign will have no effect or worse, have a negative effect on the number of sales.

Jennifer Lopez used in a Gucci fragrance advertisement. Lopez is supposed to appeal to a target segment of young, sophisticated women and to personify a fragrance that is pure and fresh.

Celebrity fragrances
Getting the message that selling fragrances sometimes has more to do with the image of the perfume than the actual fragrance itself, or at least that a good combination of both can lead into successful sales, many celebrities have nowadays launched their own perfumes. Since 2004 celebrity fragrances have increased with 2000 per cent.

My Glow, Jennifer Lopez

In 2012, thirty-one of the top 100 perfumes sold have been created or endorsed by celebrities. Even more remarkable is the 40 per cent of the total UK’s women’s fragrance market that is accounted for by celebrity fragrances.  

Where the celebrity fragrance used to be a more cheaper fragrance, at least not exclusive at all, to attract younger segments, celebrity fragrances tempt to move upmarket. An example of this was the upmarket shift of passed away L’Wren Scott’s fragrance, which was sold for 120 dollar per bottle.

Christina Aguilera made a subtle reference to Marylin Monroe’s famous sentence with her slogan: ‘Sometimes it’s all you need to wear.’.

References

Larissa Kunes, URL<http://www.larissakunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/pinnacle-solutions-perfume-presentation.pdf>, 04-11-‘14

Marketing Management (eBook). Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman, Hansen. Pearson Education. 2009

Telegraph, ULR< http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9767260/The-sweet-smell-of-celebs.html>, 04-11-‘14